aforesaid 28 Again you that are spiritual do know that all men that do expect a glory to come in the invisible Heavens do confess that the spirit of the divine Majesty is infinite unchangeable immortal an eternal 28 If the Creators person is of an incomprehensible brightness which none can gainsay but angelical carnalities how then thinkest thou it possible for men or angels to be capable of the in-dwelling essence of the eternal Spirit 29 Though every man as aforesaid have little or much of the spiritual motions of God abiding in his soul yet take notice of this when he inspireth any light into sinful spirits that very light it self being distinct from the infinite Spirit and essentially one with mortality is made capable not onely to live but also to die together that it through death might be capable by the decree of that Spirit from whence it was produced to quicken and revive that mortality again into the glorious likeness of the eternal Majesty it self from whence it came CHAP. XXVI 1 Of the nature and place of the Reprobates torment 2 The last witnesses great confidence concerning the end of the world 3 Without a tongue no speech can be made by God Angels or men 4 God is visibly seen by spiritual bodies as Kings are by their subjects TAke notice of this also that in what soul soever this in-shining light hath appeared though he be preserved from despising a personal God if before he taste of death he doth not attain to understand this glorified Jesus to be the onely wise very true God upon the sight of so clear a discovery as this is then this will be his portion All the light at his death shall vanish and come to nothing and in the day of the Lords account by vertue of his decree that Luciferian Serpentine spirit which abhorred the simple plain truth because it discovereth its carnal deceits shall quicken and bring forth a body spiritually as dark as pitch and naturally as heavy as lead a body of thick darkness or blackness of darkness according to Holy Writ 2 Again it will be a body whose invisible spirit shall be a fire of such a dark envious nature that it shall burn more intollerably fierce than any fire in this world whatsoever through which it shall be tormented as if it were nothing else but a carcase or pillar of unsavory burning brimstone 3 In that very place where it doth appear upon this earth it shall either stand sit kneel or lie along neither seeing its own dreadful person nor no mans else 4 And the main ground of all his unspeakable sorrow will arise from hence because its spirit is bar'd close prisoner in its own body from all kinde of former thoughts or motioning forth upon any spiritual comforts whatsoever through the total absenting in-shining presence of the Lord Jesus Christ the everlasting Father 5 Again all thy former pride envy covetousness lying lust and hypocrisie which thou with delight didst act towards thy innocent brothers ruine shall then be acted against thine own self it will be the eternity of thy condition that will increase thy sorrowes and shame O it will be in vain then to wish thou hadst never bin born or any thing else 6 Who ever thou art that shalt out of thy atheistical soul laugh these words to scorn and say these are but meer fancies of my own brain know this from the Lord of Glory when this whole world and all the beauty and natural glory thereof as namely the Firmament Sun Moon and Stars are become nothing but burning dust or dry sand and an utter Chaos of everlasting confused darkness then thou shalt remember thy despising things thou knewest not 7 Is not this answerable to Christs own words where he saith If that light in thee be darkness how great will that darkness be Again The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of sire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 13. Take notice of this record of Scripture and you shall find that he said these things should be done at the end of the world Again and when the Son of man cometh in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit on the throne of his Glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father take the inheritance of the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels Mat. 25. 8 Here ye may see that the Lord Jesus doth not speak of cursing or burning up of sin in all men and eternal salvation unto all mens persons but maketh as clear a distinction as there is between sheep and goats of an eternal separation of two distinct generations 9 The one personal nation to enter into that most blessed estate or kingdom of the right hand of eternal ravishing glory with Christ and his holy angels and the other personal generation to be cast out into the left hand of the fiery burning kingdom of everlasting utter darkness with that devil Cain and his cursed generation being thereunto appointed from the foundation of the world 10 Again what ever men shall imagine or think to the contrary this was the very minde of Christ in those words of his concerning blessing elect Israelites to eternity and cursing Canaanitish reprobates for everlasting 11 Who shall dare open his mouth in that day to say why hast thou made me thus As sure as the Lord liveth and as certain as thou art a living soul and body this very thing will come to pass in a short season though men or angels should gainsay it 12 The Lord Jesus Christ neither can nor will be found a liar in this nor any thing else for all the cursed whimsies of men in this age or any other age though the persons of ten hundred thousand times ten Millions of men and women should suffer the vengeance of eternal fiery death in utter darkness O poor vain despiser of a personal God what acursed condition art thou in and knowest it not 13 In the next place I shall speak again concerning the Creators being an infinite personal Majesty unto which the visible forms of men and angels bear record as unto an incomprehensible glory from whence all their comprehensible things had their beings 14 Was there not an uncreated eternal Majesty alone when no creatures whether men or angels appeared in a sensible living being 15 Again seeing there was from
didst thou ever see this infinite Maâ—esty and Throne of Glory thy self if thou didst where are thy miracles to confirm it or why dost thou not make us believe it by thy spirituality or why doth not this infinite Majesty bear witness that he sent thee as he did to his former Prophets and Apostles or when will he do it that we may see and believe and own thee for the truths sake 25 Whoever thou art that thus callest in question the glorious truths of eternity under pretence of my weakness in reference unto miracles that thou mightest believe 26 Little dost thou think in stead of contending with me thy sinful brother according to the flesh that it is that old Serpent Devil in thee that arraigns the glorious God that made thee at the blinde bar of thy carnal reason and by it condemns him and his heavenly truths because thy unbelieving desires are not satisfied 27 Again did not the Lord of Glory himself call those Jews that required a sign an adulterous and wicked generation 28 Moreover when the Lord of life by the mighty power of his word onely wrought wonderful miracles in their sights instead of believing on him ever the sooner for that the sign-mongring Jews cursedly say that he cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of Devils 29 Furthermore if thou shouldst upbraid me for want of the gift of tongues or languages yet I render praise unto the God of Glory by his poor light in my poor soul thou canst not upbraid me for want of a spirit of Prophesie though thou at present shalt slight it 30 And what if I could speak all languages would it advantage any sign-monger in the world but to his further condemnation only 31 What saith the Scripture concerning this thing Wherefore strange tongues are for a sign not to them that believe but to them believe not but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which believe 22 verse of the 14. Chapter of the 1. Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 32 Moreover did not the Lord of Glory himself say that John the Baptist was the greatest Prophet under the Law that was born of women and yet thou never reads of any miracles or tongues possessed by him 33 The Christian Dove waites for a spiritual sign within him that he may believe the glorious truths of the everliving God without him but the carnal Serpent requires a natural sign without him to make him believe the spiritual truths of an invisible God in the high heavens 34 Again if there should be no other appearing of a God or Christ but in mens consciences as thousands vainly imagine in this drunken age what did Christ mean by these and such like sayings in the 15. of St. Matthew And when the Son of man cometh in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats and he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left then shall the King say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my father take the inheritance of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungry and ye gave me meat I thirsted and ye gave me drink and such like then shall he say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels for I was an hungry and ye gave me no meat I thirsted and ye gave me no drink and these shall go into everlasting pain and the righteous into life eternal 35 Again thou that vainly boasts of a spiritual God or Christ appearing in glory within thee onely darest thou say that these Scriptures are fulfilled 36 Moreover canst thou say that thou hast this King on his Throne of Glory with his holy Angels and all the Nations of the world within thee 37 Furthermore is the Devil and his Angels and eternal blessedness and cursedness within thee also 38 My beloved friends in the Lord of life if there were not a generation of cursed men that glory of a God or Christ within them that are not onely full of these and such like discourses but are also given up unto all filthiness I could not have mentioned this thing wherefore there are many of these Serpents that creep into houses telling poor deceived men and silly women laden with many lusts that the resurrection of the dead is past already since Christ in his glory is risen in them 39 Moreover if their captivated friends should seem to scruple at any kinde of fleshly community held forth by them then these wandring Stars will say unto them What poor low things are these that you are troubled withal what are you in Egypt still is there any more then one pure being and is not this pure being within you all and is it not he that speaks and acts all in you seeing there is but one power what do ye scruple at are ye as little children or fools yet do ye not see that there is no union or true communion in the world among those people that hold two powers 40 Furthermore lest their deceived friends by whom they possess Balaams wages should fail them then these cursed captives will tell them That their bodies are fleshly forms that turns to dust from whence they came and shall appear no more therefore not to be minded in the least in reference to sin so that ye fall not under the civil law or oppress nature but your souls are immortal and cannot die but ascends into its glory from whence it came Wherefore since ye have attained to such liberty that all men are in foolish bondage which know it not let us eat and drink and be merry whilest we enjoy these vanishing forms yet let us sollace our selves with all delights even as our divine rights 41 O thou King of all kings for the glory of thy great names sake discover these Serpents with their carnal wiles that all thy simple hearted people may be delivered out of their Satannical snares and brought into that pure light and liberty of thy own likeness by one heavenly glance from thy eternal spirit CHAP. XLV 1 The Creators withholding of his divine assistance was the cause of the Fall of our first Parents 2 The ground of all spiritual or natural Curses 3 Noahs Ark assimulated to Heaven 4 Of the Resurrection YOu that are full of the light of life may know that whilest Adam and Eve continued in the purity of their Creation this whole earth and all things made therein were as pure in their kinde and measure as that vast kingdom of glory and all that therein is 2 Moreover as soon as ever their pure natures were defiled with the Serpentine nature of fiery lust you
a signification of the divine nature and form of a something that is infinite 10 It is as clear as the purest light it self unto you that are experimentally spiritual that it is not names words or titles proves God or Man to be any living beings at all except they be distinct persons to manifest their honorable names as proceeding from comprehensible somethings and not from incomprehensible nothings 11 If the God of Glory in Scripture Records should be called not onely by three divine titles but by threescore thousand holy names also yet all the men in this world or Angels in that world to come can never prove him to be an infinite spirit without a body or prove him to be any more then onely one distinct glorious person also 12 You heavenly ones may also know that the divine Majesty is called in Scripture Records by three divine titles that as beforesaid that the most learned prudent men in this world might never attain to a right understanding of the very true God and the spiritual mysteries of his everlasting kingdom by all their rational study in the Scripture Records or any other ways and that was the very cause that the Lord Jesus Christ said unto his own spiritual power represented by Angelical Moses and Elias I thank thee Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes and sucklings 13. Concerning that threefold title of Father Son and Holy Ghost in stead of three persons as of long time by blinde guides have been imagined doth it not rather stand to better sence that the word Father hath reference unto the Godhead Spirit eternally united unto Christ Jesus our Lord. 14 And that the word Son hath relation unto the glorious body of the everliving Emanuel which is visibly seen by elect Angels Moses and Elias 15 And that word Holy Ghost hath reference unto a divine word of light life or power proceeding from the invisible Father through the glorious mouth of the visible Son into the invisible spirits of elect mankind to the inlightning of their dark understandings and purifying of their fleshly mindes 16 Thus you which are truly enlightned from above may clearly see what that threefold heavenly Record signifieth of that onely distinct personal Majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ God alone blessed for ever and ever Amen 17 It is also as clear to you that are spiritual as the light it self that the holy one of Israel could not possibly be three distinct persons or spirits in one Godhead being or any such like confused deities 18 You know that wheresoever the Scriptures exactly make mention of the Holy One of Israel it attributes all honor praise and glory unto him always in the fingular number as unto one distinct personal Majesty or glorious being and not in the plural number of three distinct persons or spirits in one body as hath been long imagined by deceivers of the whole Christian world so called which are in bondage to their confused God and invented formalities 19 You know that in the conclusion of many several things the Scriptures run in such a line as this to the onely wise God or unto God onely wise or though there be that are called many Gods or many Lords yet unto us there is but one God or the holy one of Israel and such like 20 You know because there is none above a King or head Magistrate in his own kingdom or equal with him upon an extraordinary occasion he will swear by himself or by the faith or word of a King 21 Thus it was with that Holy One of Israel because there was none above him or beside him or equal with him in Heaven or Earth he swore by himself concerning the transmutation of his uncreated glory and everlasting spiritual Priesthood into a pure body of flesh blood and bone 22 Before the God of Glory was descended into the Virgins Womb you know he had many holy names attributed unto him wherefore you may also know from all eternity he was a distinct divine person and not an infinite formless spirit as most men blindly imagine 23 You spiritual ones may also know before he was clothed with flesh it is not the holy names of Creator infinite Spirit Jehovah Ancient of dayes mighty God Lord of Hosts Redeemer Holy One of Israel King of Glory or everlasting Father or any glorious expressions that can be uttered by the tongues of men or Angels that can prove any God at all except he was a divine person distinct from Heavens Earth Waters Angels Men and all things else 24 That the one personal infinite Majesty may remain in the heavenly center of his own uncreated glory and all beings that he hath formed to live in his sight may continue in their own creaturely stations for an everlasting distinction between the glorious Creator and poor changeable creatures 25 Thus by a free gift received from the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Throne of Glory in simplicity of spirit and plainness of speech in a small measure I have declared the minde of the Holy One of Israel in those literal expressions for there are three which bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one CHAP. XXI Of a threefold Record of natural witnesses proceeding from the blessed person of Christ at his death I Shall write a little of a threefold Record in that most pure natural body of Christ when he was on this earth in relation unto the threefold record of his spiritual body in the invisible heavens before said in the 53. of Isaiah it is written He poured forth or out his soul unto death and in the 19 Chap. by S. John you may finde it thus written but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forthwith came there blood and water here you that are spiritually discerning may clearly see a threefold Record of natural witnesses proceeding from that blessed person of our onely God and Savior at his voluntary death 2 As namely blood water and spirit wherefore his most precious soul pouring forth it self unto death that was the witness of the death of the everlasting Father in flesh 3 The issuing forth of the unvaluable blood that was the witness of the death of the eternal Son in flesh 4 The flowing forth of the water that was the witness of the death of the erernal spirit in flesh on earth 5 These sayings are not onely hard but intollerable to be born by cursed Oanaanites which understand nothing truly of the power of an infinite Majesty 6 Nevertheless unto you which are made to understand the deep and hidden mysteries of the most wise and powerful Creator doth not this answer these Scriptures sayings 7 I and the Father are one and from Jesus Christ which is that faithful witness and that first begotten of the dead and that Prince of the Kings of the
let us make man in our image according to our likeness so likewise in the following words you may see the plural number converted wholly into the singular number of one divine glorious being in those sayings Thus God created the man in his image in the image of God created he him he created them male and female 11 Doth not these trinitary expressions themselves unto all men that have any spiritual light in them clearly discover the confused darkness of any kinde of personal trinity whatsoever 12 Can three persons in equal power wisdom and glory possibly be but one God 13 Is not three in number absolutely three How then or by what diabolical Logick canst thou make three beings appear to be but one divine essence 14 Three distinct persons as beforesaid cannot possibly be less in number then three Gods unless two of them in number be removed that there may remain but one personal God alone that none may share with the Holy One of Israel in his infinite wisdom power and glory if this be not good sence let men or Angels reprove me with better 15 I have better thoughts of thee that thou shouldst imagine the Creator to be three persons united together in one divine bulk or being and to think that he by his infinite power might disunite his divine Trinity and send two of them forth for a season unto the sons of men as he saw occasion and so to return unto the divine essence 16 I confess these and many such like gross absurdities concerning the Creator every man is subject unto until his understanding be enlightned from on high by the Holy One of Israel himself 17 Because Millions of people lye under deep darkness in many Nations concerning the right understanding of the Trinity of the onely true God in unity through the deceit of antiquity of custom proceeding from the Orthodox Ministers of the Gospel so called therefore I am compell'd to use many words in this most needful point 18 If through a sober and mock perusal of this Epistle thou attain to know there is an eternal being of beings and truly to understand this glorious Creator to be but one personal Majesty thou wilt then as clear as the light it self not onely see the miserable confused darkness of those men that say there is no God but in mens consciences onely or that say there is no God at all but perishing nature but thou wilt also see all men that are ignorant of this one personal Majesty which come forth in the name of the Lord but meet deceived persons though they speak like Oracles or Angels 19 Again because many upright souls for want of clear distinction in them of the invisible God of eternal glories are subject to continual doubts of being deceived through the variety of pretended appearances in his most Holy name therefore in the next place I shall write in a comparative way upon those sayings let us make man in our image according to our likeness 20 If a mighty earthly Prince have secret thoughts of acting a thing of concernment in relation to his honor you know with advice of his privy Counsellers it is usual for him to say It is our Royal pleasure to do such a thing or we think fit so to do or let us do suâ—h a thing or we rejoyce in your welfare as our own and such like 21 So likewise when the King of Glory was moved to create a thing of concernment from his spiritual privy Councel it was most requisite for him to say let us make man in our image after our likeness 22 Again if he intendeth to do some ordinary thing by vertue of his Royal pleasure in reference to his honor you know not taking advice of his privy Councel he speaketh in the singular number altogether as namely I will such a thing to be or let it be so and such like 23 So likewise when the King of Glory created things for his honor that were not of his divine image or likeness those creatures being at a distance and of lower concernment to him you know he spake altogether in the singular number onely as if he had not formed them from his unsearchable Councel as namely let such a thing be or let it be so or the like 24 Again if a King for his highest honor from his most eminent Councellors having no heir is moved to set his Royal stamp upon a man as to be called by the name of the blood Royal and to be the next man in the kingdom to the King you know the thing being of so near concernment unto him he thinks he can never speak too much or home enough in the thing for the taking upon the spirits of his subjects therefore he will say Let us make such a man our heir or it is our Royal pleasure to make that man our kinsman and ruler over our whole kingdom next to our self and the like 25 So likewise as beforesaid the creating of man being of the highest and nearest concernment unto the King of Glory that his wonderful wisdom and love in the thing might operate not onely upon spiritual men but also in the mighty Angels themselves the glorious Creator with a fulness of speech from the depth of his invisible Councel said let us make man in our image or in our likeness because until man was made he had formed nothing in his own likeness but the contrary altogether as abundantly beforesaid 26 Again you that are renewed from on high with the image of Christ may know that one chief ground that moved the divine Majesty to say Let us make man in our image it was because he did eternally purpose to become a spotless man of flesh blood and bone himself 27 So that the word us had relation unto a twofold condition of that spiritual man the King of Glory himself therefore they were spoken in the plural number let us make man in our own image and such like 28 Another ground why the divine Majesty said let us make man in our image was this because the glorious Creator himself from eternity was a spiritual person in the likeness of the man Adam 29 The chiefest ground of all why the divine Majesty said lâ—t us make man in our own image was this because the infinite Majesty and the man Adam was to be of so near a union both spiritually and naturally 30 Therefore the God of eternal Glory was compelled to disrobe himself of his infiniteness by transmuting of it into flesh on this earth that from his divine self he might purchase for elect mankinde in that body of his flesh personal Crowns of God-like glory in the highest heavens with himself and his mighty Angels 31 Heaven descended into earth that earth might be made capable to ascend into heaven 32 God himself became very man except sin on earth that very man himself might become the very God in the high heavens and that elect mankinde except
that of Adams or else Eve could not possibly have been deceived by him as aforesaid 7 Also his body being spiritual though his nature was carnal there was no let to hinder his descending into her womb to bring forth the Creators secret purpose of two generations coming through the loins of one woman to make an everlasting distinction between the transcendent glory of respection and shame of rejection 8 Though the Angelical Serpent descended into the womb of Eve yet you may know that his ascending nature was utterly lost in that in stead of his ascending upward into that habitation of ravishing glory from whence he was cast he was ignorant of it and of that God and his mighty Angels as if he had never known them in the least 9 For he imagined his Serpentine subtilty to be the onely wisdom then in being and this world to be the onely heaven 10 My beloved brethren in the eternal truth whatever carnal minded men vainly dream of a general redemption by Christ as sure as the Lord liveth there is a Serpentine generation of cursed men and women which glory in all manner of fleshly sporting themselves about a Creator or in possessing of a perfection in this mortallity which with their father Cain are utterly ignorant of the true God his everlasting kingdom elect Angels immortal personal glory or misery or any spiritual thing in the least 11 Doth not the Scripture throughout make mention of two distinct seeds sons or generations of mankind 12 Can Cain and Abel both therefore proceed from Adams loines or be of his begetting upon the body of Eve 13 It is written in the third of Luke and the last verse concerning Christ that he was the Son of Enos the son of Seth the son of Adam the Son of God If Christ Jesus the eternal Son of God according to the spirit was the very son of Adam according to the flesh can any sober man possibly think that there should be any relation of spirit or flesh between Christ and Cain 14 Or that the everliving God upon any account whatsoever should be brother unto a cursed Serpent 15 Though righteous Abel was Cains brother yet their brotherhood came by the mothers side onely and not by the father though Eve was made out of Adams side 16 You know that righteous Abel did represent the glorious person of all righteousness and truth it self who was that holy and innocent Lamb spiritually slain from the beginning of the world in Abel by the heart and hand of murthering lying Cain 17 Moreover is not this answerable unto that of Christ and his brethren you know their brotherhood was by the mothers side onely and not by the father 18 Thus if your eyes be opened you may see in contrariety a harmony between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent 19 Again because of the great opposition that may rise up against this glorious truth through the exceeding pride and unbelief in the heart of most men give me leave to cite a few Scriptures in the 3. chapter of the first Epistle of John you may finde it thus written Not as Cain which was of that wicked one and slew his brother In the 13. Chap. of Matthew it is thus written He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man and the field is the world and the good seed are the children of the kingdom and the tares are the children of the wicked one and the enemy that soweth them is the devil 20 Moreover in the 8. chapter of St. John Christ Jesus the onely God of truth speaketh thus Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do He hath been a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lie then speaketh he of his own for he is a liar and the father thereof 21 My spiritual and rational friends which are sober was not Cain the first murdering lying man that ever was born of a woman Seeing no true Christian can gainsay it was not cursed Cain from the beginning that murthering devil and father of lies spoken of by Christ aforesaid 22 In answer unto those carnal Jews which boasted themselves to be of Abrahams seed and were not those lustful murdering minded Jews or Gentiles which our Lord branded with titles of Serpents Vipers children of the devil and such like filthy Cananites which proceeded out of the spirit of cursed Cain that old Serpent Dragon Devil and father of all the damned in this world and not from the spirit of Abraham though they might proceed from his loins according to the flesh through mixtures of seeds in marriages the sons of God saw the daughters of men to be fair and they took of them to be their wives 23 Though the blessed Israelites and cursed Cananites are mixed together by carnal copulation since the Prince of devils became flesh yet you that spiritual may know that the Lord Jesus that made them both knew how to separate them for all their close union and to call them by names answerable to their own natures 24 I confess that all that died in the first Adam shall be made alive in that second Adam the Lord from heaven but what was that whole world that were lost in the first Adam and found again in the second Adam 25 If with a spiritual eye you shall look from the 1. of Genes unto the last of the Revelation then you may clearly see what that whole world is which are appointed unto immortal Crowns of eternal glory by our Lord Jesus Christ behold are they not called a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood a redeemed People adopted sons of God heirs or co-heirs with Christ blessed children or the lost shâ—â—p of Israel and such like 26 Did not the glorious Creator and blessed Redeemer himself make a clear distinction between two worlds or generations when he said I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me out of the world 27 Can you that are sober imagine or think that there is any spiritual salvation for those men or women which the Savior of the world excludes in his petition 28 Moreover it is written that the Apostle said We know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness or the devil 29 Behold ye redeemed ones of the most high God is it not as clear as light it self that there is two distinct whole worlds according to that saying then all Israel shall be saved 30 A redeemed world of elect lost Israelites and an unredeemed world of unlost Cananitish reprobates that were never truly lost in themselves and therefore never capable of being found in Christ according to that in the Epistle of Jude where it is thus written For there are certain men crept in which were of old ordained to condemnation ungodly men they are which turn the grace of God into wantonness
spirits 31 Then indeed and not till then mans soul that was averse to all spiritual good by that divine light is made willing to choose the better part 32 Because then he certainly knows that there is an eternal life and glory for some and an everlasting death and shame for others 33 Therefore you that are truly spiritual cannot but know that though men speak a language like unto Angels or the divine Majesty himself as the Angelical Serpent seemed to do in the beguiling of Eve yet it is utterly impossibly they should possess any true understanding of the spiritual things of the everliving Jehovah or Jesus until their souls are firmly established with an undoubtable assurance of their own personal glory in a world to come 34 So much at present concerning the tree of knowledge of good and evil or seed of the woman and seed of the Serpent O blessed and happy are those men and women in themselves already that enjoy this distinguishing light of life eternal in the purity thereof CHAP. XL. 1 Concerning Christs coming to judgement 2 The vanity of that opinion that believes Christs personal raign upon this earth BEcause of many opinions of Christ and the ignorance of most men concerning his coming to judge both the quick and dead therefore in the next place I shall treat of this most needful point from certain sayings of himself in the 17. Chapter of Matth. the words are these for as the lightning that lightneth out of the one part under heaven shineth unto the other part under heaven so shall the Son of Man be in his day and as it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man they eat they drink they married wives and gave in marriage unto the day that Noah went into the Ark and the flood came and destroyed them all likewise also it was in the days of Lot they eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they built but in the day that Lot went out of Sodom it raigned fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all after these ensamples shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed 2 My beloved spiritual brethren you know there is a twofold appearing of Christ unto the sons of men the one spiritual and seen onely by the invisible eye in the soul and the other is personal and seen onely by the visible eye of the body 3 Also you know Christ being the divine rock of all ages he hath spiritually manifested himself unto his blessed Abels from the beginning of the world till now but as for his visible appearing in a body of flesh whereby men might be able to behold the face of their God in the similitude of a man and live you know that he did but once so appear onely for a few years 4 Again in the 25. Chapter of Matthew it is written thus And when the Son of Man cometh in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats 5 It is also written in the Thessalonians thus when the Lord Jesus shall shew himself from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 6 If you that are spiritually sober do but compare these three places of Scriptures together then you may clearly see what Christ meant by that day of his personal appearing 7 After his suffering and glorification he shall appear like lightning from one part under heaven to the other he shall appear in his glory with all his holy Angels 8 Behold ye blessed of the most high God what kinde of appearing of Christ in his glory like lightning or a flame of fire is this is it not the visible appearing of his fiery glorious person with the glittering persons of his mighty Angels under the whole heavens or in the air 9 If it be not so how shall all nations be gathered together before him that he may make an eternal separation between them according as he hath spoken 10 It hath been long imagined by men of rare parts in the account of many people that before the general judgement day Christ would come again personally to raign a thousand years on this earth with his Saints 11 And their opinion is grounded partly upon the 20. Chapter of the Revelation which was long since fulfilled as I shall demonstrate in due season 12 But first I shall prove by Scripture Record the failing off this opinion in the 3. Chap. of the Acts it is thus written when the time of refreshing shall come from the Lord and he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heaven must contain until the time that all things be fulfilled which the Prophets have foretold since the beginning of the world what think you then of Christs personal raign on this earth a thousand years with his Saints is it not point blank against the truth of this plain testimony of Holy Writ 13 In the 14. Chapter by Saint John you may finde it thus written Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me in my fathers house are many dwelling-places if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there may ye be also 14 In this place of Scripture you see that Christ did not speak in the least to his Apostles of his coming again personally to raign upon this earth a thousand years 15 But of the contrary he told his heavy-hearted Disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them or he was going into the highest heavens or prepared place of eternal glory appointed for them with himself after they had suffered with him on earth and he would come again in his glory with his holy Angels and receive them into his fathers house or heavenly kingdom where he now is that they might with his mighty Angels Moses and Elias everlastingly behold his bright burning glory even face to face 16 What is this personal raign of Christ with his Saints a thousand years that supposed wise men have so much talked of 17 Is it any thing else but a temporal heaven at the best if spiritually examined 18 Moreover is it not a very unlikely matter that the infinite divinite Majesty should come again personally to remain upon this bloody earth a thousand years with his Saints having suffered here already and ascended upon the throne or right hand of transcendent glories yea far above all heavens as it is written that he might fill all things 19 Furthermore do not all personal
raign-mongers confess that Christ was God and man in one person and that that most blessed body of his is now glorified in the highest heavens 20 Do you not also pretend to believe that the divine person of this God-man glorified is infinite immortal unchangeable and eternal 21 Moreover if there be any such divine light or heavenly faith in your persons I would fain know whether you think it possibly that this mortal world or men can bear the presence of a divine Majesty whose body is become a consuming fire of immortal everlasting burnings without its being immediately consumed to ashes or transmuted into his own glorious likeness 22 O that all the elect did but know how suddenly this personal God will appear in his glory to consume this whole world 23 Again if you look in the 11. Chapter of the Hebrews you may finde it thus written All these died in faith and received not the promises but saw them afar off and believed them and received them thankfully and confessed that they were strangers and pelgrims on the earth for they that saw such things declare plainly that they seek a country and if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out they had leisure to have returned but now they desire a better that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a city here you may see that Abraham himself was so far from expecting a personal raign of Christ on this earth though he believed that his seed should enjoy the promises of God both temporal and spiritual in their appointed seasons 24 Therefore he onely minded a personal ascending into the heavenly City of eternal glory prepared for him and his elect seed at the resurrection of the just 25 So that Abraham looked upon the promises of God that they were to enjoy in this world onely as types or shadows of that heavenly City or Kingdom with its ravishing excellencies as aforesaid 26 Moreover if that glorious God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob had intended a personal raign on this earth a thousand years with his Saints after his glorification in the highest heavens can any sober man be so weak as to think he would have hid it from Abraham whom he was pleased to call the father of the faithful and friend of God You know what is written shall I hide this thing from Abraham 27 Furthermore if the Lord in life or death had revealed any such thing unto Abraham the thing being of so great concernment can you possibly think that he would have hid it from his generation to come you may be sure if there had been any such thing to be accomplished he would have declared it to after ages 28 Seeing neither Abraham nor any of the Patriarks or Prophets knew of Christs personal raign on this earth with his Saints but spake as to the contrary altogether what sufficient ground hath any man in this world to expect such a thing 29 But how can it be otherwise when men takes upon them to interpret the mysteries of the Scriptures without an immediate Commission from the eternal spirit 30 Again the Scripture saith That the day of Christs appearing shall be like unto that of Noah and Lot now you know in the day that Noah entred into the Ark the flood came and by degrees destroyed them all 31 Also in that day Lot departed out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all 32 If the whole world was drowned with water immediately after Noah entred into the Ark and Sodom and Gomorrah was consumed by fire suddenly after Lot departed out of the City and the day of Christs coming shall be in like maner without controversie in stead of his personal raign on this earth with his Saints at his next appearing immediately after all his blessed Noahs and Lots are ascended into the Ark of his immortal glory this firmamental created heaven and the lights thereof shall be all on fire 33 And shall descend upon the face of the whole earth and burn all the fruits and glory thereof unto ashes but it shall not be so favorable as to consume the bloody minded men therein 34 If the Lord of Glory had purposed to come personally to raign a thousand years amongst his Saints before the general day of judgement is any man so weak as to think he would have hid it from his chosen Apostles whom he had promised to set upon twelve thrones to judge the twelve Tribes of Israel when he appeared again in his glory 35 Is there any one place in Holy Writ that expresly speaketh of Christs personal raign in this world 36 If there be no express record for any such thing as I am sure there is not doth not those men that hold forth such an opinion as this imitate little children or fools that reâ—oyce in Rattles or Counters in stead of gold or precious stones 37 Thou that art confident of Christs personal raign on this earth suppose such a thing should come to pass in thy days and thou shouldst be one of those Saints what condition dost thou think thy body shall be in 38 Dost thou think it shall live upon carnal things or shall it be immortalized and live upon spiritual things onely 39 Or if thou thinkest thy soul shall be in a divine condition and thy body shall feed upon natural things as now it doth and shall be in perfect health and free from diseases 40 I say if thou hast imagined such an estate as this is I would fain know of thee what condition thou thinkest that Christ will appear in 41 Dost thou think that he will descend from the throne of his Glory upon this earth amongst the sons of men again to eat and drink of carnal things with them as formerly 42 Or dost thou think that he will appear amongst them in a glorious condition to make them more happy in things that perish then now they are 43 If Christ should personally raign with his Saints what union or communion could they enjoy with him more then now they do unless he was in a capacity of eating and drinking with them or else they were delivered from feeding upon natural things themselves through their transmutation into his own glorious likeness 44 It is written in the 26. Chapter by St. Matth. I say unto you that I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I shall drink it new with you in my Fathers kingdom 45 Here you that are spiritual may see that Christ was so far from encouraging his Apostles to expect his coming to taste of the fruit of the natural vine in a personal raign with his Saints that he layeth it down as a positive rule that he would drink no more of the natural vine in this earth until he drank it in a new and spiritual way with them in his Fathers
of Gods essentially being in all things 20 Again if the eternal spirit should consist of so great a bulk how then can there be any God at all but nature onely 21 Or how can it possibly be an infinite spirit when it is not distinct to it self but is compelled to have its being in finite things onely this unknown bodiless God is much like unto the Star-gazers monstrous Sun and Moon aforesaid 22 Is not this infiniteness indeed for all the spirits of elect men and Angels to be filled with variety of divine glories with one word speaking from so small a fiery glory as this is 23 Who ever thou art that shall be left to despise this little spark of immortal Crowns which essentially raigneth in the man Christ Jesus alone it is because there is no true light of life in thee CHAP. XLIV 1 Of the great white Throne which John saw Revelation 20. 2 A mark of a Reprobate to desire miracles to make him believe the truth of a commission IN the 20. of the Revelation it is thus written And I saw a great while throne and one that sate on it from whose face fled away both earth and heaven and their place was no more found My spiritual Brethren though mens earthly mindedness and heavenly conceitedness will flye away and be no more foundâ— when the true light of life eternal is throned in their spirits yet from the unerring spirit I positively affirm that this place of Holy Writ had reference onely unto Christs personal appearing in his glory with his mighty Angels to make an eternal separation between the just and unjust 2 My Christian friends why did John call it a great white Throne which he spiritually saw It was because of the glorious brightness of the Judges face or person and his Angelical attendance and also because it was the dreadful general appearance of mankinde to receive their eternal dooms 3 You know when Christ was transfigured upon the Mount through which his face shone and his garments glittered the Texts saith that Moses and Elias appeared to him in glory 4 So likewise you may know that John called it a great white Throne as beforesaid because of the transcendent brightness of Christs person 5 What heaven and earth was that which fled away from his glorious face what ever men imagine to the contrary you that are spiritual may know that it was the dissolution of that heaven and earth that had a beginning as if it had never had any being I mean this visible firmamental heaven and earth and all light or life in them 6 Therefore where John saith their place was no more found that was spoken in reference unto their former natural brightness vertue beauty power or glory being translated into a Chaos of everlasting confusion 7 Again besides the glorious brightness of Christs person and his Angelical Host give me leave to write a little more of that great white Throne which John saw 8 You that are truly spiritual cannot be so grosly ignorant as to think that Christ hath no other Throne to inhabit in but his peoples spirits and this natural world onely why because that error ariseth out of the Atheistical hearts of fleshly men that hath no faith in the truth of Holy Writ 9 Moreover if mens spirits be but rationally sober though at present they be never so atheistical they may be convinc'd that there is another world besides this which is of a higher nature compassing this Globe round about and yet it is not global as this is onely there is no elementary Firmament Sun Moon nor Stars in it but it is an open place City Throne or Kingdom of infinite vastness in length breadth or height answerable to the person of an infinite Majesty 10 Also it is a Throne of exceeding whiteness or Sun-like brightness suitable unto the transcendent brightness of the Kings person that sits thereon and his glorious companions 11 Though the joy and glory of an earthly Prince consists chiefly in the greatness of his person power vast territories and honorable subjects for his safety yet for all this you know that his palaces are deckt with embroidered Ornaments of gold silver precious stones and such like for the further setting forth the mortal glory of his Princely Majesty 12 So likewise it is with the divine Majesty for though the variety of his infinite Godhead joy and glory principally is within his own person and Princely power over so innumerable a company of kingly companions 13 Yet you may also know that he hath a great Throne or Palace for the further setting forth of his visible glory decked with Ornaments of spititual brightness or immortal glittering whiteness as beforesaid 14 Do not all men that acknowledge a Creator whether they understand him to be a spirit or a person confess him to be boundless immortal unchangeable and eternal 15 You know this global world is not boundless in length height breadth or compass but is is surrounded with a firmamental heaven as with a brazen wall to keep it within its own station 16 Moreover if the eternal Majesty be infinite or boundless as he is I would fain know of any man how it is possible for a glorified infinite spirit or person to be contained in a finite bounded world 17 Though the Doves of divine glory are compelled for a season to live among the Tyrannical Serpents of this perishing world yet I would have you to understand that if an infinite or boundless God with his mighty Angels should have no other Throne to solace themselves in but this then in stead of spiritual liberty they would all be in natural bondage 18 If you ask me the reason of it you may know that the glorified person of God or Christ is of a motion swifter then thought and the persons of Moses Elias and the mighty Angels are of motion as swift as thought 19 Therefore no inclosed place can contain them but they must of necessity inhabit a Throne or Kingdom of infinite vastness for ascending or descending at the divine pleasure according to their motional swiftness 20 Again you spiritual ones may undoubtedly know that there is such a throne as I speak of why because this world cannot possibly contain our thoughts but they nimbly pierce through the heavens and in a weak measure they comprehend an infinite or boundless God and a Throne or Kingdom of an infinite circumference 21 If our bodies were answerable to our thoughts this world could not possibly contain them but they would ascend through the natural heavens to see whether there were such a vast kingdom of eternal glory as they had apprehended 22 I know all fleshly Atheistical minded men are apt to say unto me If they could see this infinite personal God and glorious white Throne I talk so much of then they could believe it 23 O how fain would finite carnal eyes behold infinite spiritual glories 24 Moreover they may say unto me
kingdom 46 Where then is thy imaginary personal raign of Christ on this earth with his Saints a thousand years CHAP. XLI 1 The vanity of believing in a God that hath no form 2 And of them who say the Creator is an incomprehensible Spirit 3 Or that there is no God but nature onely 4 Or who say that Gods Spirit and their spirits are but one spirit ANother sort of deceived men there are that through strong delusions from their natural comprehensions have imagined a mighty spiritual appearance in themselves from a bodiless God or Christ that never was 2 This sort of men are those which from a cursed conceit do not onely despise a glorious God in the person of a man but they also talk of great signs and wonders which they expect shall come to pass by inward voices or visions from their imaginary bodiless God as beforesaid 3 Moreover being bewitcht to the purpose though they pretend a great spiritual light in them they can make a hard shift to fool themselves from the literal records as to think that the Holy One of Israel had commissionated another high Priest or King of the Jews besides himself 4 Though this counterfeit high Priest or King of seven Nations I mean John Tanee pretends a natural glorious deliverance suddenly unto the Jews in many Nations 5 Truly those that understand nothing above a Paradissical temporal glory are not to be blamed in the least for their bountifulness towards his perishing tenents in reference to his Hierusalems conceits 6 John Tanee thou maist remember about three years and six moneths past I told thee of thy deceived condition concerning thy carnal Jerusalem journey with John Robins also by an immediate voice from on high 7 Furthermore if thy high priesthood kingship and Jerusalem temporal glory do not vanish like smoak as John Robins did even when thou thinkest thy self most sure in the thing then the Lord God sent not me to thee 8 Again when thou art ashamed and confounded in thy self from all thy lying voices or visions declared unto Saints and Serpents in the name of the great Jehovah then thou shalt know with sorrow and shame enough that it was the Lord that sent me unto thee to declare thy fleshly error 9 I do not say thou canst help it it is through the permissive power of the Lord for some secret end onely known to himself that thou or any man else should break forth into such strange appearance of darkness yet seeming glorious lights when thou art found too light in the ballance of divine truth 10 It is not thy natural or all gorical whimses that can blinde the elect nor pacifie the judge of life and death within thee and without thee 11 Again there is a third sort of deceived persons which with great confidence have declared that Christ should spiritually raign over the Nations in King Charles Seed and of this sort one Arice Evans in Black-Friers was lookt upon as a great Prophet by many of the Royal party 12 Moreover from this their foolish conceit they had many pritty whimses and dark sentences to blinde mens apprehensions like unto John Tanee and John Robbins Which took much upon the spirits both of the subtile and simple also for a season 13 Furthermore their understandings being utterly dark concerning the spiritual or personal appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ in his glory 14 It is usual for them concerning Charles the second as to joyn Christ and him in one calling him the white Pearl that should make the nations in a sweet harmony of divine unity through his glorious ruling over them also they said that he should not attain to the throne of his Father by any carnal weapons but he should be brought into this land and set upon the Throne by an immediate power of the eternal Spirit of God himself 15 Again this carnal Cavalier Prophet pretended the knowledge of certain Scriptures by voices or visions in reference to the raign of Charles the second and John Tanee-like sought to confirm it by natural observations 16 And truly I do not blame the people that were deceived by them because they wanted a true distinction in themselves betweeen those things which are divine and humane 17 Moreover when all pretended high Priests Prophets or Apostles in this land are clearly discovered by an unerring light of life eternal I make no question of the subtilty of their Serpentine spirits to blinde their own eyes and those that were deceived by them 18 I know they can say If they be deceived the Lord hath deceived them or they can say We had a mysterious language given us by Jehovah to confound all literal or notional appearances in this confused age and men understood us in a carnal sence only 19 Or if they have often fixed a time concerning things that should come to pass and nothing comes of it they can also say As the Prophet Jonas understood not the Lords time and minde concerning the destruction of the Ninevites 20 So likewise this thing in the way of our fleshly expectation was hid from our eyes but the mighty Jehovah in his season will bring it to pass in a spiritual maner beyond the comprehension of men or Angels 21 Moreover if none of these excuses will blinde their eyes which expected wonderful things from them then because they are not able to bear the shame of being found lyers in the name of the Lord they will say all men are lyars or there is not a true Prophet upon the face of the earth 22 Or else they will say There is but onely one pure being invisibly ruling in the whole Creation and this spiritual power manifesteth it self in various maners of seeming contradictions for the confounding of all mens understandings that would finde out its secrets but in the end when it hath fooled men to the purpose it will appear in a glorious harmony to the content of all 23 Furthermore for the blinding of their own eyes and those of their own spirits that they may both fall together in a deep ditch of eternal destruction they will or may say If there be a Creator he is an incomprehensible spirit and all our spirits proceeded out of his spirit and when our bodies dies our spirits returns into his spirit again 24 From this cursed error they may or will say That God can as soon destroy himself as any soul that he hath made with an eternal condemnation 25 Moreover if this grand fleshly deceit prove also but a broken Cistern then as aforesaid they may or will say there is no God but nature onely your most wise men in nature know this to be truth but they are compelled to nominate a God to the people to keep the rude multitude in obedience to their governours and government 26 Knowing if they should confess a Creator besides nature all their pretended divine voices or visions would appear but meer fleshly lies 27 Therefore for